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Cards shoot for series win against Brewers

(SportsNetwork.com) - After ending a franchise-record run by Milwaukee starters, the St. Louis Cardinals shoot for a series victory on Tuesday night in the second contest of a three-game set with the Brewers.

(SportsNetwork.com) - After ending a franchise-record run by Milwaukee starters, the St. Louis Cardinals shoot for a series victory on Tuesday night in the second contest of a three-game set with the Brewers.

The Brewers brought a nine-game winning streak into last night's opener, but were shut down by the Cardinals in a 4-0 loss. That denied Milwaukee its first 10-game winning streak since 2003 and gave St. Louis its third straight victory.

Matt Garza yielded four runs on nine hits with nine strikeouts over seven innings in just Milwaukee's third loss in 13 games this season. The Brewers were only down a run until Garza yielded a two-out, three-run homer to Jon Jay in the sixth inning.

"That was a big momentum shift right there," said Garza. "That was a big back- breaker in the game, but it happens and we'll be back out here tomorrow."

Jay's homer also ended Milwaukee's string of 26 straight games with its starters allowing three earned runs or fewer.

St. Louis got its own gem on the mound from Lance Lynn, who won for the third time in three starts this season after hurling seven scoreless innings in which he scattered three hits and three walks while striking out 11.

"He did a great job of controlling his counts and mixing his fastballs," said St. Louis manager Mike Matheny about Lynn. "He didn't get in much trouble and did a great job of controlling the plate."

Jhonny Peralta smacked a solo homer for the Cardinals, who won 14 of their 19 meetings with the Brewers last season while going 8-2 in Milwaukee.

Shelby Miller will try to secure the series victory tonight for the Cardinals, but has lost his first two outings of 2014. St. Louis has been outscored 16-2 in those games.

The righty yielded five runs and three homers over 5 1/3 innings of a 12-2 setback at Pittsburgh on April 4, then faced Cincinnati at home on Wednesday. Miller yielded three runs on seven hits and three walks over six innings, giving up another homer in the 4-0 defeat.

While the 23-year-old Miller has never lost versus the Brewers, going 3-0 with a 2.03 earned run average in five career starts, Marco Estrada will try to beat the Cardinals for the first time when he makes the start for the Brewers.

The 30-year-old Estrada is 0-4 in his career versus St. Louis, posting a 5.74 ERA in 12 meetings, including seven starts.

However, the righty is off to a good start in 2014, going 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA. He has allowed three earned runs over his two outings, following up a no- decision at Boston with last Thursday's 6-2 victory in Philadelphia. Estrada limited the Phillies to a pair of runs on five hits and two walks in six innings of work.